War is a grim necessity, continuing diplomacy by undiplomatic means, because not everyone is reasonable, and sometimes there isn’t a peaceful solution.

War is worst when fought halfheartedly, because anything less than overwhelming force is a first class ticket to either a quagmire, or a defeat.

Politics is a worse hell, because politics can convince people that being utter bastards is clever or acceptable or anything other than the rude and insulting jackassery that it is.

Politics can also convince people that a decent man who’s trying to fix things, and who has a public face that he puts on as business/political strategy is the worst of monsters, while those same people ignore and cover up the crimes of their own side.